Catastrophe
by The Written One
Summary: Miss Hardbroom's cat, Morgana, is accidentally turned into a little girl. Hilarity ensues. Can Constance cope with her newfound "daughter"? How can Ethel and Mildred fix the situation before it spirals out of control?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This idea came to me early this morning, and I was so excited to bring it to FF! Please review and let me know your thoughts. Second chapter is almost finished.**

* * *

Long, slender fingers gently stroked the cat's fur, scratching behind her ears, and continuing down her back.

Mildred couldn't help but stare at Miss Hardbroom seated upon the stage; her faithful cat perched regally in her lap. The assembly had been about the importance of properly training a witch's cat, and Miss Hardbroom had brought Morgana along to display her obedience.

 _It is of extreme importance, girls,_ Miss Hardbroom had said, _that your cat not only likes you because you feed her, but also because she feels connected to you, loyal until the end. And would do anything_ \- and at this, Miss Hardbroom dropped her hat, and the cat dashed over to it - _to protect you._ They proceeded to perform a few tricks and commands the cat had mastered, and upon everyone's applause, the pair had returned to their seat.

In the present, Miss Cackle was still prattling on as Mildred eyed Morgana, purring happily in her mistress's lap. It was a funny thing when she thought about it - Miss Hardbroom showing affection for something – and that something returning the feeling. Today's display had certainly proven that the pair shared a deep emotional connection. _In the beginning, you must treat your cat as you would a young child,_ the deputy head had said earlier. Mildred pictured Miss Hardbroom singing and cooing to the cat, and she couldn't help the snicker that escaped from her lips. She quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late. All at once the room went silent, and every eye turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry you find that funny, Mildred." Miss Hardbroom spoke up angrily, and Mildred racked her brain trying to remember what Miss Cackle had been saying before her unfortunate slip. "You can wait in your room until the end of assembly, when I will come and fetch you."

Mildred stood, the only sound in the room from her chair scraping backwards, and slowly shuffled out of the great hall, hanging her head.

"Now then," Miss Cackle continued, "As I was saying, Miss Hardbroom is offering to personally assist in the training of one of your own cats. One pupil will be selected to learn three new commands onstage at the end of today's assembly. Would anyone be interested?" Several dozen hands shot up eagerly, but Miss Hardbroom's closed eyes told that she had already made up her mind.

"Ethel Hallow," Miss Hardbroom called out, "You may go and fetch Nightstar."

"Thank you, Miss Hardbroom." Ethel smiled, standing tall and striding out of the room.

* * *

"Tough luck, Hubble Bubble." Ethel sneered as she bumped passed Mildred on the way to the dorms.

"Leave me alone, Ethel." Mildred sulked.

"Sorry, I must've missed something. Am I in any way at fault here?" Ethel spun around, "It seems that you couldn't contain your hilarity at the thought of getting a private lesson with Miss Hardbroom. I didn't make you guffaw like that. I don't see how you could possibly think that _I'm_ the one bothering _you_."

Mildred kicked herself mentally - of course Miss Cackle had to be saying something about HB when her laugh slipped out. "Well didn't you come out here to do just that?" She asked, hurt.

"Everything isn't always about _you_ , Mildred, you dog. _I_ was chosen to have the training session. I'm off to fetch Nightstar." She said, careening past her.

"Take that back, Ethel!" Mildred shouted, catching up to the blonde and grabbing her by the shoulder.

"Get off of me!" Ethel screeched. "Take what back?" She spat.

"...I'm not a dog." Mildred answered quietly.

"No then? Well, how about a cat?" Ethel sneered, an evil grin crawling up her face. " _Transformus, changeonus_..." She began.

"What are you doing?!" Mildred shrieked, beginning to run the other way.

" _Illio allio, feline meowio_!" Ethel finished. She threw her hands in front of her as fiery red jets of energy escaped from her fingertips, shooting for the girl with the messy plaits.

Mildred gasped in horror as Ethel recited the spell, which seemed pretty self-explanatory, and she attempted to dash to the side to avoid the cat-curse. Her bootlaces, however, did not comply, and became twisted in the rubber soles of her shoes, causing her to slip and take a dive, headfirst, into the cold, stone floor.

Ethel's curse barreled toward its target - whizzing by and slightly missing as the girl fell, singeing her frizzy hair, then sailing past her and slamming into whatever was unfortunate enough to be in its path.

"Mmmmrrreeeooowww!" Came a shriek, as red bolts pierced the body of a cat, which sailed a few feet and crumpled into a heap on the ground.

Ethel's hands flew up to her mouth - the spell was intended for a human target - the sheer force would be too strong for a cat to withstand. Had she killed the poor thing? The thought made her stomach churn.

Mildred got up off the floor, dusted off her uniform and looked from cat to Ethel, her eyes wide.

As the dust cleared away, they spotted the tangled heap lying still on the floor. Mildred was the first to approach it, cautious and concerned - she couldn't stand by and let any creature suffer, human or animal. Ethel slowly shuffled behind her, keeping her eyes glued to Mildred's back, afraid of what she might see if she looked at the floor.

Suddenly Mildred stopped and gasped, dropping to the floor next to the injured animal. "Ethel... it's... it's...!"

"Don't tell me it's dead, Hubble!" She cried angrily.

"No… it's alive… _she's_ alive. It's… Morgana." Mildred said, voice trembling. Ethel hurried over and dropped to her knees next to her.

"Crud, Mildred." Ethel breathed, her heart thudding in her chest. Mildred reached out to stroke the cat's fur. She pulled her hand back in alarm when it crackled at her touch - and watched as red light slowly swirled around the cat's form.

"What did you do, Mildred?!" Ethel spat, "You just _had_ to go and make it worse, didn't you?"

"I didn't do anything! I just touched her-"

Suddenly the red light grew brighter, surrounding the cat's body until it was no longer visible. Then the form started to shift, changing shape and growing larger. Ethel and Mildred skittered backwards on hands and knees, afraid of what might happen.

"What... the…"

The light glowed so brightly that the girls had to shield their eyes, when finally it seemed to explode, winking out of existence. Mildred uncovered her eyes first, and then jumped to her feet. Ethel followed her gaze and gasped in alarm.

Sitting on the floor where Morgana used to be was a young girl, who seemed to barely pass for three years old, sporting jet-black, medium-length hair and cat-yellow eyes.

"Is that…?" Mildred didn't need to finish her question. "Change her back, Ethel!" She turned suddenly, grabbing Ethel by the shoulders and shouting in the loudest whisper she could muster.

"Me?! You're the one that touched her!" Ethel whispered back frantically, pulling away.

"Don't pin this on me, you're the one that wanted to turn me into a cat!" Mildred raised her voice.

" _Shhh_!" Ethel scolded. "If HB finds out, we're worse than dead." She whispered, eyes darting around the hallway.

Mildred peered over at the little girl, who was watching the squabble with wide-eyed fascination. "At least she's alive." Mildred squeaked.

"We've got to fix this. So for now we're on the same team." Ethel said, grabbing Mildred's hand. "Come here, Morgana." She called to the little girl, who instantly obliged and scuttled over, jumping gracefully into Ethel's arms. "We'll go to my room," she said to Mildred, "HB already thinks you're in yours. That should buy us more time."

The girls ran quickly, it would only be another few minutes until someone noticed how long Ethel and Morgana were gone, or until the assembly ended and everyone would come pouring out into the halls. They reached Ethel's room and swung the door open, dashing inside and slamming it shut.

Safely inside Ethel's room, both girls stopped, panting heavily. Ethel put Morgana on her bed and wrung out her arm – the girl was definitely heavier than a cat. Mildred doubled over, trying to catch her breath.

"What... do we do ...now?" Mildred gasped, her lungs working hard to replenish their air supply.

"I don't know." Ethel whispered, staring at the girl on her bed. Her lip quivered and she blinked back the tears that threatened to escape from her eyes. "I really don't know."

* * *

Constance watched as Ethel left the great hall, ponytail swishing. She had faith that the girl would take the lesson seriously and therefore wouldn't embarrass herself or her teacher onstage. A minute after Ethel left, Morgana looked up at Constance and cocked her head. "You may follow her." Constance said to her cat, nodding, and the room filled with excited gasps and whispers as the cat leapt from the deputy's lap and padded out of the room.

This had been at least 15 minutes ago, and as the assembly came to a close, there was still no sign of girl or cat. Constance's eyes narrowed as Miss Cackle announced that the training would be rescheduled and the girls were dismissed.

Now that she could focus her attention elsewhere, Constance concentrated on Morgana's energy, surprised to only find a faint strain. Jumping to her feet, she strode out of the room purposefully, then materialised to the source.

As she appeared in Ethel's room, Constance grew even more confused. Ethel and Mildred jumped up, both standing at attention shoulder to shoulder, and hiding behind them, Constance noticed, was what seemed to be the form of a small girl.

"Ethel Hallow and Mildred Hubble!" Miss Hardbroom boomed, her patience wearing thin, "What on earth is going on?" She spat, exasperated.

The little girl whirled around at the sound of the older witch's voice, pushing through Mildred and Ethel. With a huge smile plastered on her face, she made a mad dash for the woman, nuzzling into her leg. "Mummy!" She squealed excitedly. "It's me, Morgana!"

Miss Hardbroom's face went through a range of emotions that Mildred would never forget. A mixture of nauseating shock, sheer disbelief, intense confusion, and then what seemed like the slightest tinge of amusement took over the usually stony features of her form mistress's face as she peered down at the tiny thing clawing at her dress.

Mildred bit her lip, trying hard not to laugh nervously, while Ethel looked so stricken with anxiety that she might vomit.

Constance raised her hand (at this motion Ethel cowered), and placed it on the little girl's back, patting her a few times before addressing the older girls. "I am waiting for an explanation." She growled through gritted teeth, her words laced with venom. "And it had better be a good one."

* * *

A/N: Please let me know your thoughts! Reviews are very much appreciated :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you SO much for all of your lovely reviews. You've definitely motivated me to post this update relatively quickly. Well, here it is! I have bits of the next chapter written already, but please let me know what you think of this one... :)**

* * *

"Well. That was an interesting assembly for a change." Enid mused as the girls filed out of the great hall.

"Did you see how Miss Hardbroom called her cat over?" Ruby asked.

"Now that was impressive," Jadu nodded.

"Extreme!" Maud enthused.

"Shame about what happened to Mildred..." Ruby said, sighing.

Maud shook her head. "HB does always pick on her, doesn't she?" She said.

"Yeah - and come to think of it, why didn't Ethel ever come back?" Enid turned around to ask the group, raising an eyebrow.

"You're right..." Maud said, puzzled, "She was supposed to get that training session. It's not like Ethel to let Miss Hardbroom down like that..."

The girls agreed, nodding. Enid narrowed her eyes, "Which leads me to believe that something is going on," she said in a low voice, "And I'm set on finding out what it is."

"What are you lot up to, whispering in the corridors?" Drusilla said icily, folding her arms.

"None of your business, Drabsilla." Enid replied cheekily. "What might _you_ be up to, wandering about on your own? Where's your precious Ethel at?"

"What _I'm_ up to is none of _your_ business," Drusilla replied, "And Ethel and I are not attached at the hip - I actually have no idea where she is," She added, her tone softening. "I was wondering if any of you have seen her."

The girls looked at each other. "Erm, no... I haven't," Ruby said.

"Neither have I," Jadu added.

Enid realised Drusilla's question was genuine. "I haven't either," She looked around, then leaned in closer, lowering her voice: "But we think something may have happened."

Drusilla cocked her head at the girl with the side-plait. "What do you mean?"

"There's no sign of Ethel, and Mildred still hasn't come down from her room yet." Ruby answered.

"Mildred's not in her room…" Drusilla said. The group looked at her suspiciously. "I mean, I passed by her room when I was looking for Ethel. Her door was open and no one was in there."

The girls all looked at Drusilla, the same question on their minds.

"You can't blame Ethel, though." Drusilla spoke up defensively. "Whatever's going on, I'm sure it really isn't her…"

* * *

"It really _is_ her, miss." Mildred insisted for the third time.

"What do you take me for, girls, a complete fool?!" Miss Hardbroom's voice thundered. "You should be ashamed of the ridiculous tale which you have just fabricated. Why would Ethel's girl-to-cat spell – which I am still not even sure she actually had the audacity to cast – cause Morgana to go from cat-to-girl? Which is really something quite complicated and much more advanced than the former?"

"I- I really don't know Miss Hard-" Mildred began.

"Ethel," Miss Hardbroom interrupted, "Cat got your tongue?" She droned, rolling her eyes at her own stale joke. "Speak, girl!" She ordered.

Ethel, who had remained painfully silent until now, turned a deep shade of red. "I... I..."

"Spit it out!"

Ethel took a deep breath and plunged forward. "It's true, Miss Hardbroom," She confessed, hanging her head. Constance's eyes grew wide. "I did cast the spell... and it hit Morgana. And she turned into… _that_." She said, gesturing to the girl who was now sitting curled at Miss Hardbroom's feet.

Constance gaped, incredulous. She knelt down beside the girl until they met eye-to-eye. They remained locked in a stare for what seemed like an eternity, with Mildred and Ethel barely daring to breathe as they looked on. Finally, Constance broke her gaze and glanced up at Ethel.

"I am still not entirely convinced, though your story does seem plausible… and I have no other explanation for this stowaway..." She said, her eyes traveling back to the girl. "Ethel, have you tried to reverse the spell?" She asked.

"Sort of, Miss. I'm, erm... not sure how to."

"I see," Miss Hardbroom growled, frustrated. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, muttering something quietly. Her fingers began to crackle with blue sparks. Opening her eyes, she brought her spell-casting fingers to the girl's temples. She concentrated hard, furrowing her brow, and released her spell into the girl's head, who went very still, and then sneezed. Nothing seemed to change. "What on earth...?" Miss Hardbroom wondered under her breath.

"Is something wrong, Miss?" Mildred asked.

"Aside from the fact that my cat just sneezed, Mildred?" Miss Hardbroom looked up at the ceiling, exasperated. "I can't remove the spell." She admitted as she rose to her full, intimidating height, Morgana sitting in her arms. "It seems, Ethel Hallow, that your curse had a reverse effect, because it hit the exact animal you envisioned for its result - something that is a rare and complicated occurrence. However, although the outcome was not intended, the original intention was based in on tainted magic. In short, to turn her back will be no simple feat. This is my theory - I've actually never seen anything like this before - and I'm not quite sure how to proceed. For that reason, I am placing you in solitary confinement - in the library - until you can find her a way out of this mess," Miss Hardbroom seethed, her mood black.

"Yes, Miss Hardbroom." Ethel replied dejectedly, glancing up at the girl, who began to nuzzle into the tall witch's chest, purring softly.

"You will also hand in five hundred lines of 'I must not attempt to perform advanced magic against people or animals, as I am'-" Ethel opened her mouth to interrupt, causing Constance to glare at her fiercely, holding up her casting fingers in an attempt to silence her, "...'As I am clearly not as capable and advanced as I thought I was.'" Constance finished sternly, with a quick wave of her hand, and Ethel paled severely, her lip quivering.

"As for you, Mildred..." Miss Hardbroom began, but stopped as Mildred raised her hand. "Yes, Mildred?" She sung impatiently.

"Please Miss, I'd like to help Ethel do her research in the library." Mildred said, pityingly eying Ethel shrinking beside her. Miss Hardbroom stared at her. "I was there when it happened, perhaps I can be a good resource," she added.

"How courteous of you, Mildred." Miss Hardbroom said monotonously. "Your research begins after your last class today, girls... if you still haven't found anything by lights out tonight, you'll resume your work first thing in the morning. Do I make myself clear?" She bellowed.

"Yes Miss Hardbroom," they chorused, and Constance and Morgana disappeared.

Ethel stood silently, white as a sheet, barely breathing. She was overwhelmed by a strong desire to vomit... to scream and cry... to bang her fists on her pillow and kick her feet like a baby. But she stood still, too ashamed to move, to even dare a glance at her archenemy standing beside her, who had seen it all firsthand. Everything she had worked for, all of the perfection she had strived to attain, was for naught. Miss Hardbroom had reduced her to a despicable nobody in a matter of seconds, all under Mildred's nauseatingly pitiful eye. She didn't want Mildred's pity! Of all people - the girl was a pity herself.

"I won't tell anyone what she said." Mildred whispered, the sudden noise interrupting Ethel's thoughts and making her jump. She turned to face the stupid girl with the frizzy plaits, and pondered, if only for a moment, if perhaps the girl wasn't as stupid as she seemed to be.

"Thank you," Ethel croaked out in a hoarse whisper. "Why do you want to help me, anyway?" She spoke in a soft tone that was half-haughty, yet half-curious.

"It's partially my fault, this whole thing," Mildred said, "If I had hadn't moved out of the way, your spell wouldn'tve hit Morgana."

Despite her reluctance to admit a fault, Ethel knew beyond a shadow of a doubt how ridiculous that had sounded – and that Mildred was not to blame. The girl was always assuming everything was her problem. That somehow, she was the cause of the world's misfortunes. Ethel let out a sigh.

"We'll figure it out," Mildred assured her, "I'm sure it'll be simple."

Ethel folded her arms, "Right. Simple." She looked down as warm fur brushed against her leg - Nightstar snuggled against her mistress, trying to offer some comfort as well. She took a deep breath. "Let's get down to Potions fast. I wouldn't want to upset Miss Hardbroom any further."

* * *

Constance appeared with Morgana in her bedroom, putting the girl down hastily. She looked down at the little thing, who looked right back up at her mistress, yellow eyes wide with wonder.

"You'll stay here in my room until after lessons, when I will come and fetch you again," she said, mechanically, unsure of how to communicate with the thing.

"Yes, mummy." Morgana answered dutifully, hugging the woman's leg and jumping onto the bed, curling into her usual position at the foot of it. "My room," She said, purring contentedly.

Constance still wasn't convinced. Part of her just could not accept that this tiny girl was her Morgana. She stared at the little thing perched upon the foot of her bed, pondering so many thoughts that she grew distant. Her blank face flitted through tiny hints of various emotions. All the while, the girl stared right back, not even blinking, waiting for the woman to make the next move. Shaking her head, Constance finally snapped out of her musings. She sighed heavily and made her way out of the room, taking one last glance at the stranger on her bed, and closed the door softly behind her.

* * *

Mildred and Ethel made it to the lab relatively quickly, though the classroom was pretty full already. Girls buzzed in excited chatter as the pair walked in.

"Milly! Ethel! You two are the talk of the school!" Ruby shouted.

"Everyone's spreading rumours about what happened—" Maud said.

"Some of them pretty nasty," Enid put in.

"But tell us what really happened!" Jadu begged.

"Well…" Mildred eyed Ethel out of the corner of her eye. "We kind of got into a bit of a spat…" Ethel looked down at the ground, would the brat really go and embarrass her now? "There was a spell… it… it hit Morgana." The girls gasped, the chatter in the room quieting down to a low hum. Ethel eyed Mildred appreciatively. She hadn't given her away after all.

"Is she okay?" Ruby asked, grimacing.

"Well… I guess it depends on how you define 'okay'…"

"She's turned into a little girl." Ethel piped up, not wanting to seem the guiltily silent party. More gasps were heard all around as the room fell completely silent.

"A little girl?!" Enid exclaimed, her eyebrows going up. "HB's cat? Really?"

"Was she angry?" Drusilla asked them. "HB I mean?"

"Angry? I've never seen her so furious in my life," Mildred said, glancing at Ethel. Ethel nodded in return. "We have to spend the rest of the day researching a reversal spell in the library as punishment for our crime."

"And if we don't figure it out by tonight, Miss Hardbroom says we'll have to continue tomorrow." Ethel added, folding her arms. She tried to push her innocence a bit further— "Honestly, I think she's blowing this whole thing a bit out of proportion."

"Do you not find yourself in enough hot water as it is, Ethel Hallow?" Miss Hardbroom's harsh, clipped tones were heard shortly before she appeared in the room, arms folded tightly across her chest, brow furrowed in frustration. Everyone stood up silently, anxious to see how their form mistress would react to the situation.

"S-sorry, Miss Hardbroom." Ethel managed to whisper.

She was met by a fierce glare in return. "One word from any of you and you will all be severely punished!" She shouted angrily, fire burning in her eyes. The class stared back in silence, eyes wide, some afraid to breathe.

Maud's jaw dropped - this was extremely harsh. She looked at Mildred, who looked back at her, knowingly.

Miss Hardbroom was clearly not happy.

* * *

Ethel found herself seated in the back of the room in Chanting class, the last period of the day. She sat hunched over, head in her hands, listening to two girls belt out the most horrid sounds she'd ever heard. But, somehow, the music was bliss compared to what loomed over her - the punishment that was to come next. She still felt sick to her stomach at the thought of the day's happenings, and at the thought of having to spend the night with whingy Mildred and a bunch of old, smelly books.

The day seemed to tick by more slowly than ever before, but Mildred was okay with that. She knew she'd done the right thing to volunteer to help Ethel, but she couldn't help feeling a bit of regret as she listened to her friends plan their night.

"I've got something new I've been working on stashed away in my cupboard," Ruby whispered to the group. "It plays music, has lights that flash to the beat… and can cook up some microwave popcorn at the same time!" The girls ooh-ed and ahh-ed.

"Sounds like a party tonight," Enid whispered back, happily. Mildred let out an unintentional sigh. The group turned to her sympathetically.

"Sorry, Mildred." Maud offered, "We can try it out a different night. We'll wait for you and Ethel to finish…" Enid's face fell, but Mildred shook her head.

"No, no… you guys have fun." She replied, and Enid was suddenly happier again, "I wouldn't want to spoil it. And I can always try it out another time." She said, trying to hide her disappointment.

"Oh, Milly—" Maud began, but was cut off by the clanging of the bell, signaling the end of the period.

"Class dismissed!" Miss Bat sang, flying out of the room happily. Everyone jumped up, relieved, chattering away. Everyone, that is, except for Mildred and Ethel, who wished they could remain glued to the seats they were in, or better yet - disappear entirely. Maud slowly shuffled out of the room to follow her group, throwing an apologetic glance over her shoulder at her best friend. Mildred returned an appreciative small smile.

Miss Hardbroom wasted no time, appearing before Ethel and Mildred with folded arms and narrowed eyes. "I believe your punishment has begun." She said to the girls, who eyed each other nervously. "Follow me."

* * *

After dropping off the guilty parties at the library, Constance collected Morgana and materialised to the staff room. No one noticed the little addition to the witch's arrival at first, but to Constance's dismay, it didn't take long.

"Hellooo!" Miss Bat squealed in delight, eyeing the adorable thing peeking out from behind the foreboding witch. Imogen and Amelia turned to see the cause of her outburst, smiling at the sight.

"And who might you be?" Imogen cooed playfully, crouching down next to the girl. Constance instinctively stepped between them, shielding Morgana with her arm, spell-casting fingers extended protectively. Imogen staggered backwards.

"She _might be_ Morgana." Constance answered, rolling her eyes.

"Morgana…" Imogen said slowly, pondering, as if she'd heard the name somewhere before. Then, it dawned on her.

"Do you mean…?" Amelia started, and Constance gave a swift nod of her head, launching into a retelling of the day's earlier occurrences.

The room was silent as the staff digested the story Constance had told them. Then all at once, the three women burst out into laughter, Miss Cackle in particular roaring loudly.

"Wow, Constance," Miss Bat gushed, catching her breath, "who knew you were such a fabulous storyteller?"

"I am not telling tall tales, Miss Bat. I have never been more serious about anything. This girl is my cat."

At this the three women laughed harder, falling over each other giddily, tears streaming from their eyes. Morgana couldn't help but giggle as well. "Fantastic story, so creative!" Miss Bat shrieked.

Constance folded her arms angrily and Amelia took notice.

"Okay, okay, Constance." Miss Cackle started, calming down, "So you say that this girl is your-" she snorted and cleared her throat, "your cat."

"I know it's hard to believe, Miss Cackle." Constance said, rolling her eyes at the sniggers coming from the rest of the audience.

"No, no... it's... hmm..." Miss Cackle took another deep breath and swallowed the last laugh threatening to burst from her mouth. She turned to face the girl. "Hello, Morgana," she said slowly, approaching her, "I. Am. Miss. Cackle." She enunciated loudly.

"Yes, of course I know you, Miss Cackle" the little girl replied quickly, "Sometimes I see you sneak pudding from the kitchens in the middle of the night."

Imogen and Davina burst out into another fit of hysterics, while Miss Cackle turned positively red, and Miss Hardbroom raised an eyebrow, slightly amused.

"Great story! Good show!" Laughed Davina. "Can you save some for me, headmistress?" Imogen chortled.

"There's no need for that, Miss Drill." Morgana said suddenly, and Miss Drill's laughter stopped short. "When that man climbed through your window the other night, he promised he'd bring you a treat."

Davina burst out into harder hysterics. "What a story!" She cried. Miss Cackle and Miss Hardbroom turned to look at Imogen, who let out a tiny squeak as her face drained of all colour.

"You were right, mummy. Miss Bat does laugh like a—" Davina let out a tiny " _eep_ " as Constance clapped her hand over Morgana's mouth and the rest of her sentence was muffled. "That's enough, Morgana, thank you." She muttered, glaring at the girl.

The women stood silently, deflated, each one redder than the last. The tension in the room was tangible as each woman wondered how such a tiny ball of cuteness could embarrass them to such an extreme degree.

Constance removed her hand from the girl's mouth, dropping it to her shoulder instead. Her eyes darted about the room as she struggled to find something to say; she could think of nothing, and promptly disappeared, cat in tow.

"That," Davina squeaked quietly, "Was a terrible story."

* * *

 **A/N: Well, what do you think? We'll hopefully get to see a lot more of Morgana in the next chapter. :) Please post a review, they mean the world to me, and help me figure out what you'd like to happen next.**

 **Thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow! I can't believe the support you've been showing for this story. It is really so greatly appreciated! It's especially helpful when I'm feeling stuck - I just go back and read the reviews and it motivates me to continue. Keep 'em coming ;)**

* * *

Constance materialised into her room, Morgana in tow. She wheeled the girl around to face her, glaring angrily.

Morgana stared into the eyes of her mistress, trying to find the feeling of warmth they usually gave her, only to find embarrassment and anger instead. She suddenly felt small under her mother's piercing gaze, finally understanding how that same, cold look could cause students to quake in their boots. Her bottom lip quivered. "I... I'm... s-s-sorry..." Morgana stuttered in a barely audible whisper.

Constance raised an eyebrow at the frightened, shuddering mess before her and felt a pang of guilt. The poor thing didn't mean to embarrass her - she simply didn't know any better. And she hadn't expected her to be so scared; Morgana had never shown fear before. Constance knelt down to the girl's level. "You're forgiven," She said, a bit of warmth returning to her eyes. Morgana smiled. "From now on, let's keep personal matters personal, hmm? Mum's the word."

Morgana sniffled and nodded in understanding. "Mummy?" She said quietly.

Constance's breath caught in her throat. There she went again - this little thing calling her "mummy" - something about it made her heart rate quicken. She coughed and managed to get out a small: "Yes?"

"I love you," the little girl said, burying her face in the woman's shoulder, and hugging her around the neck. Constance staggered backwards, alarmed at the sudden emotion. She crouched there awkwardly, mechanically moving her hand to the girl's back and giving her a light pat. This girl was still a stranger - she certainly couldn't bring herself to return the feeling.

"I have some paperwork to finish and then I must get the girls into bed." She said, pulling away. "I'll be back later... alright?" Morgana nodded, taking a step back and surveying her mother, cocking her head to the side. Constance stared back. "What?"

"You don't believe it's me, do you, mummy?" Morgana asked slowly.

Constance faltered. "I... it is a bit hard to swallow." She admitted.

Morgana's head fell. "Well, it _is_ me." She insisted.

Constance nodded. "I'll be back." She said quickly, her gaze lingering a moment longer. Then she folded her arms and disappeared.

Morgana let out a heavy sigh and made her way to her favourite spot at the foot of the bed.

* * *

Ethel flipped through page after page rapidly, her eyes frantically scanning the words in search of something familiar: _cat_ , _human_ , _spell_ , _reverse_ …

Mildred's methods were quite different: the girl opened each book to its first page and began to read, in depth, her finger following the words. Ethel rolled her eyes and shook her head - it would be ages before the girl would be able to find anything substantial. Besides, _she_ had to be the one to find the answer, so she could win back favour in her teacher's eyes.

Eying the ever-growing pile of books beside her, Ethel let out a heavy sigh. "You know, you could try to go about it in a bit of a quicker fashion." She said, annoyed.

Mildred looked up from her book, her finger still hovering over a word. "What?"

"You've only finished three books, and I've been through about three dozen. I don't want to miss lessons tomorrow." Ethel complained.

"I don't have to be doing this, you know." Mildred found her voice, "That's three more books than you would've gotten through on your own. And if you aren't happy with that, I could just call it a day."

Ethel was taken aback by the intensity of Mildred's retort and reddened in response. "I'm sorry... I do appreciate it. I'd hate to have to do this on my own, please don't leave." She said meekly.

Mildred looked hard at Ethel, "Believe me, I hate being on Miss Hardbroom's bad side more than anyone else - it's basically the way I live every day. And I'm also hoping we'll figure this out soon so we can just go back to being ourselves. But for now we need to work together. There's nothing else we can do." She said firmly.

Ethel pondered this. So they'd have to be on the same page - which seemed pretty appropriate in a library. But that didn't mean anyone needed to find out about it. They were in solitary confinement after all, nobody would be the wiser once all was said and done. So, in that case... why couldn't they try to get a bit of a boost? After all, Cackles was a school for witches, wasn't it? And weren't they learning how to use magic to help themselves out of trouble? This situation definitely seemed to qualify...

"Ethel? Hello?" Mildred waved a hand in front of the girl's glassy stare. Ethel shook her head, snapping out of her musings, a smile crawling up her face. "What are you up to, Ethel?" Mildred asked worriedly.

"Oh... nothing." She answered, wandering over to the 'Advanced Magical Studies' section again, this time in search of a very different book.

* * *

"Cool invention, Ruby," Enid beamed, pouring another helping of popcorn into the big bowl. She watched the colourful lights blink to the beat, each flash highlighting the somber expression on Maud's face. "What's wrong, Maud? Don't you like this song?" Enid asked the girl with the bunches.

Maud sat alone in the corner, looking out the window, her head in her hands. "I can't enjoy a party without Mildred." She said glumly.

"Poor Mildred," Jadu said dejectedly, tossing a kernel over her shoulder.

"Hey! I've got an idea. Why don't we bring some of our party to her?" Enid said, jumping up from her bed.

"What do you mean? We can't go near the library! HB probably has some sort of surveillance system set up or something." Maud said.

"Yeah, Enid. When Miss Hardbroom says 'solitary confinement', I'd imagine she has some way of guaranteeing it." Ruby added.

"Let's just go have a look. We'll casually pass by the library – we can't get into any trouble for doing that, it's not as though we're meant to be in bed yet or anything." Enid said.

Jadu and Ruby looked at each other nervously. Maud shook her head, "It _is_ almost time for lights out, Enid. Besides, Miss Hardbroom will know what we're up to."

"She always has to ruin our fun, doesn't she?" Enid complained loudly.

"Not always," came a familiar voice. Maud shrieked at the appearance of her potions teacher, and Jadu jumped in the air, causing the popcorn to fly all over the room. "Only when I feel the 'fun' is really an impetus for trouble," Miss Hardbroom continued, surveying the scene. She grimaced at the wretched noises coming from the flashing, obnoxious device. "What is that infernal contraption?" She raised her voice over the pumping music, and her hand over Ruby's machine, zapping it into oblivion with a satisfied smirk. The group groaned. "Back to your own rooms, girls. Enid, you have two minutes to return this room to normal." She added, folding her arms and disappearing.

"Always ruins the fun," Enid grumbled, bending down to pick up the popcorn.

* * *

"It's just about time for lights out, girls. Have you made any progress?" Miss Hardbroom asked as she appeared in the library. Both girls shook their heads.

"We're awfully sorry, Miss Hardbroom," Ethel said, wincing. "We've been reading through a lot of books, but haven't been able to come up with anything yet."

Constance sighed, "I'm afraid you'll have to continue in the morning, then. I'll let your teachers know that you will not be attending their classes until further notice." Ethel and Mildred deflated. "We will meet here at precisely 9 AM tomorrow. Come along, girls." Miss Hardbroom beckoned, and the pair followed her out of the room.

Tomorrow would be a long day for all of them.

* * *

Constance finally made her way to her room after getting the last of the stragglers into bed. She sighed heavily and closed the door behind her, making her way over to her dressing table.

"Hello, mummy!" A little voice called out cheerfully.

Constance gasped, and her hand flew to her chest to steady her racing heart. She'd nearly forgotten about the guest waiting for her in her room. She took a deep breath and recovered quickly. "Hello." She answered swiftly. She looked in the mirror and double-pointed at her bun, which unraveled gracefully, dark curls spilling down her back. Morgana clapped.

"I like when you do that, mummy. Your hair is like yarn." She purred.

"Is that a compliment?" Constance mused, reaching to undo the zipper on the back of her dress. Her hand stopped, and she peered at Morgana in the mirror. She couldn't undress in front of her. Not that she hadn't so many times before, but this was ...different. Shaking her head, she decided that tonight she'd have to change her clothing magically. She folded her arms and changed into her pyjamas and robes.

Morgana laughed happily. "Now we're ready for night rounds! I love night rounds."

"Do you?" Constance asked, raising an amused brow at the reflection behind her in the mirror.

"Oh yes. It is my favourite time of night. We go on a long walk, just you and me. And I find the lights under the doors for you."

Constance bit her lip and rolled her eyes. This was definitely one of the more amusing schemes Mildred and Ethel had pulled. She turned around to face her companion. "Well I can't bring you on my night rounds now, can I? You aren't a proper cat."

The little girl pouted, her eyes filling with tears. "Please, mummy. I will be good. I will still check under every single door for you."

Constance stared her down, but after a moment her look softened ever so slightly. She let out a sigh. "Oh very well, then. But you look perfectly unkempt." She scolded, searching for an excuse to correct the girl. "We'll do up your hair and then you can come with me." She pointed at the girl's messy mane, which gathered into one big bunch and tied itself into a tight, intricate bun atop her head.

"I look like you now, mummy." Morgana smiled, peering happily at her reflection in the mirror. She crossed her arms and made an angry face. Then she went over to Constance and tickled her under her chin. "Good night my sweet Morgana. Save me from my nightmares. Wake me if there's trouble. I shall always trust you." She sang with a grin, patting Constance on the head. The witch's mouth fell open. It was part of her nightly routine. The only creature in the world that could possibly know it was...

This was real –

 _She_ was real.

It hit her now like a ton of bricks. This little girl was really her Morgana. For some reason the thought made her heart pang and she felt something foreign pricking her eyes. She squeezed her eyes closed and shook her head.

"Well, that's enough of that." Constance said, clearing her throat. "Let's be off, then."

* * *

Constance and Morgana quietly prowled the corridors, their strides falling into rhythm. Morgana slowed down occasionally to check for light under a few doors. Constance eyed the tiny thing skittering about and fell into deep thought. She was so absorbed in her thoughts, she barely noticed when Morgana stopped suddenly, hunched over, and almost tripped over the little obstacle.

"Mildred Hubble, mummy," Morgana whispered, on hands and knees at the girl's door.

"Right. As usual." Constance sighed, reaching for the knob. She swung the door open and gave her most menacing glare to the girl who was laying in bed and peering into a book.

"M-miss Hardbroom!" Mildred shrieked, dropping the book and nearly falling out of her bed in fright.

"An explanation, Mildred?" Constance sang tiredly.

"I..." Mildred's voice trailed off as she spotted a tiny Miss Hardbroom clone folding her arms and glaring at her. Though her first instinct was to giggle, the intensity of the little girl's stare sent a shiver down her spine.

Miss Hardbroom followed Mildred's gaze and was equally taken aback by the fierce look the little girl sported. She looked back at Mildred and folded her arms as well. "We're waiting." She said.

Mildred instinctively leaned backwards in her bed, trying to distance herself from the double-threat. "I… I guess I didn't realise how much time went by since we were told to snuff our candles. I really want to figure this out for you and Morgana and Ethel, Miss Hardbroom. I can't bear to see all of you so upset…"

Suddenly, Tabby dashed over to Morgana, leaping into her arms. "Hey, Tab. How did you recognise me?" Morgana giggled, a big grin replacing the frightening look she had only moments before. Tabby meowed a few times in reply. "I know," the girl answered, eliciting a jaw-dropping shock from both witches. "Isn't it funny? I can't exactly explain it myself."

"Mor... Morgana!" Constance snapped in disbelief, "are you an… _acquaintance_ of this cat?" She asked, hoping the answer would be a resounding no.

Morgana looked as though she would cry. "Tabby is my very good friend. Does that bother you, mummy?" She asked softly, and Tabby bristled in her arms.

"What? Er... no! I mean... I can't..." Constance cleared her throat and looked from girl to cat. "I didn't know you... _associated_ with the other cats in the school."

"You're in class an awful lot. We all have to do something to pass the time." She said defensively, and Tabby nodded his head furiously in agreement. "Doesn't anyone think about what we're meant to do all day, locked up in our rooms?" She said.

Mildred and Constance stared at the pair in disbelief. Tabby and Morgana... close friends? The thought made Mildred laugh out loud.

"Do you two speak often?" Mildred asked her.

"Oh yes. Most of our discussions are about the two of you, actually. You both tell us a lot about each other." The little girl smiled happily, and Mildred and Constance eyed each other, one quaking in her bed, the other with a fierce look of disapproval.

Constance narrowed her eyes at Morgana, sending a silent " _do not share anything else_ " before speaking. "Well, Mildred, as much as I appreciate your efforts, I feel it would be in your best interest to resume them only after the sun makes its appearance. Do I make myself clear?" She said sternly.

Mildred nodded wearily, eyeing the girl still holding Tabby out of the corner of her eye. Constance took notice. "I expect you'll keep our little 'cat connection' under wraps, yes?" Mildred nodded again, grinning as Tabby leapt down and padded over to her bed, holding his head high.

"Lights out, Mildred." Constance reminded her.

Mildred blew out her candle and watched the light disappear as Constance closed her door. "You're some cat, Tabby," Mildred whispered with a smile, burying her face into the warm fur.

* * *

 _This should be interesting_ , thought Constance as she pulled back her covers and climbed into bed. She opened her potions textbook and leaned back against the pillow propped behind her head. The room was quiet for a while, aside from the occasional turning of a page.

"What are you reading, mummy?" Morgana asked absentmindedly, rolling a small ball of yarn from hand to hand.

"A book." Constance replied shortly.

"That doesn't look like the book you usually read every night." The girl said, crawling closer to the witch and laying down beside her. Constance squirmed at the unwelcome intrusion into her personal space, shifting over to accommodate the girl in the crook of her arm. Morgana looked over the pages interestedly. "Is it a story?" She asked.

"No." Constance answered.

"Is it boring?"

"No." Constance answered.

"Can you read it to me?" Morgana asked, looking up at her mistress.

Constance looked down her nose at the little thing peering up at her. "No." She answered for the third time.

"Why not?" Morgana whined, pouting.

"I will not have any whining in my bed, Morgana." Constance said sternly. "And it is not a book for cats."

"But I'm not a cat _now_ , mummy, I'm a _girl_." Morgana said, smiling widely. Constance didn't answer, and the smile quickly melted away. "You're being quite stern with me, mummy. Have I done something wrong?" She asked sadly.

Constance lowered the book and looked pityingly at the girl she was sharing a bed with. She tried very hard to remind herself that this girl was the same ball of fur she had shared a bed with every night. That this girl was the same ball of fur she cuddled and pet and shared a retelling of each day with. That this little girl was, in a way, her closest friend. "No, Morgana. You've done nothing wrong. I may be feeling a bit under the weather – perhaps it would be best if we called it a night." Constance closed the book and placed it on her nightstand, flicking her wrist to engulf the room in darkness.

And somehow, in the darkness, it was easier for Constance to envision that little ball of fur lying next to her. After a few moments of silence, she reached out and tickled the girl under her chin. "Good night my sweet Morgana. Save me from my nightmares. Wake me if there's trouble. I shall always trust you." She whispered, patting the girl on the head.

And even in the black, gloomy, dark of the room, the little girl's smile shone brighter than the moon.

* * *

 **A/N: So, thoughts? So sorry for the delay - I actually had a lot of this written for a while, but I was having a hard time splitting it into chapters. That being said, most of the next chapter is already done. So please review, review, review and help me get it up quickly! ;)**

 **Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for your patience, everyone. Here's Chapter 4!**

* * *

In the black of the night, a tiny grumble was heard.

"Mummy?" A quiet voice asked. It was met with silence. Morgana snuggled closer to her mistress. " _Mummy_?" She whispered into her ear again.

"Hmm?" Constance answered drowsily.

"Mummy, my belly is making rumbly noises," Morgana whispered. "And I'm starving."

Constance rolled over, her eyes adjusting slowly to the darkness of her bedroom. After a minute she was able to make out the moon-lit figure of Morgana hovering over her. "I left you some food in your-oh." She looked down her nose at the tiny thing, "I suppose you can't eat cat food anymore can you?"

The little girl stuck out her tongue. "Yuck," she said, "I tried it. It doesn't taste the same with my girl tongue."

Constance sighed, "Very well, let's head off to the kitchens, then." She got out of bed, shaking her tangled hair into place. She changed into her robes with a flick of her wrist, and did the same for little Morgana. "Come along," Constance said, holding out her hand. The little girl took it graciously, an excited smile on her face.

The pair materialised to the dungeon kitchen. Morgana leapt up onto a chair effortlessly, and Constance began rummaging through the cupboard.

Morgana put her head in her hands. She smiled slowly, watching her mistress with glee.

"Is something amusing?" Constance asked casually, her face still in the cupboard.

Morgana quickly wiped the grin off her face. She'd forgotten that Constance practically had eyes in the back of her head. "Nothing, mummy." She said innocently.

Constance turned around to face her. "Nothing?" She asked, raising a brow.

Morgana bit her lip, but couldn't help the smile that was slowly crawling up her face.

"Go on. Tell me what's got you so entertained."

Morgana squirmed. "Do you remember the last time we came down here, mummy?" She asked mischievously.

Constance reddened. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

"I'm sure you remember. We had so much fun." Morgana smiled broadly, her fangs glistening.

"Morgana..." Constance began in a warning tone.

"I'd never seen you eat so much chocolate in my life." The little girl giggled. "And we sneaked all those confiscated sweets back up to our room..."

Constance couldn't hold her frown of disapproval for too long. It really had been a thrill to act like a student again. She folded her arms and allowed herself to smile ever so slightly. "I still have a few left." She whispered.

"We should take some more tonight." Morgana purred happily.

"Didn't I tell you I wouldn't dare do it again?" Constance snapped, regaining her composure.

"Yes, mummy. You told me you had a moment of weakness." Morgana replied matter-of-factly.

Constance blushed and cleared her throat. "Yes, well. I believe I also asked you to forget it ever happened." She swallowed her remaining smirk and turned back to the cupboard. "We have juice, biscuits, and bread. What'll it be?"

"Hmm... I'll have juice, biscuits and bread then, I suppose. Are they tasty?" She asked, licking her lips.

Constance watched Morgana nibble each food interestedly, an intense look of concentration on her face. At one point a bit of juice dribbled onto the girl's chin and she wiped it away with her sleeve.

"Morgana," Constance scolded, "Your arm?"

"Sorry, mummy." Morgana said, taking the handkerchief that appeared in her mother's hand. She dabbed it on her chin and finished the last sip of her juice.

"Have you had enough to eat?"

"Yes, I feel quite full. Thank you, mummy." She said, leaping down from the chair and taking her mother's hand.

Constance closed her eyes and stood very still for a moment, enjoying the warmth of the tiny hand clasped in her own. She looked down at Morgana and felt a… strange sort of feeling she'd never felt before. She couldn't quite explain it to herself, but it was a good feeling, and she wanted to hold onto it for as long as she could. "Shall we go the long way?" She asked, beginning to walk to the staircase.

"Okay," Morgana answered happily, grasping her mother's hand more tightly.

* * *

Mildred rolled over for – what was it – the twentieth time that hour? Sleep evaded her; she couldn't get her thoughts off of poor little Morgana, trapped in a body that wasn't hers. And Ethel… Ethel would be so upset that she'd have to miss all those lessons. And Miss Hardbroom… she sat up suddenly and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her bare feet freezing as they touched the cold stone floor. She didn't care if she'd get into trouble. She had to save Morgana.

Mildred tiptoed out of her room, quietly closing the door behind her with a soft click.

* * *

The pair was silent for the duration of their walk, but Constance's mind was loud with thoughts. Her heart swelled with pride – she wished she could go everywhere with the little thing parading at her side. _Was this what it felt like to be a mother?_ She found herself wondering. _A… mother?_ Her own voice asked her thoughts. Was that what she was now? Would that make this little girl her… daughter? Well, technically, if she had to go about giving everyone titles, she guessed those would be the most fitting. _Mother. Daughter._ But it wasn't real… she wasn't really a mother, was she? Well, why not? She was responsible for her own small person. She had to feed her and take care of her and… _raise_ her. Yes, Constance decided, that definitely put her under the category of mother.

Even if it was… temporary.

Her eyes flicked to the girl again, who was still clutching her hand tightly, a wide smile on her innocent little face. _It's temporary, Constance_. She reminded herself. _A few days from now this will be all but a memory._ Her heart panged at the thought and she pushed it out of her mind. _Might as well enjoy it while it lasts._

They came to the end of the corridor, to a bronze plaque bearing her name… Constance took a deep breath and pushed the door open, ready to retire for the night.

 _Enjoy it while it lasts._ Her thoughts reminded her.

She wished it could last just a little bit longer.

* * *

As she turned another page in yet another book, Mildred's hand froze. What sounded like slow, quiet footsteps seemed to be approaching the door of the library.

"Who is that?" Mildred whispered, her heart thudding. "Miss Hardbroom, is that you? I'm so sorry!"

"No, Hubble Bubble, it's me." A young girl's voice sneered. Ethel Hallow stood silhouetted in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" Mildred whispered.

"I was going to ask you the same question." Ethel answered.

"I can't bear being responsible for all of this. I don't want you to have to miss any lessons tomorrow. I don't want Miss Hardbroom to be upset. I just want to figure this out." Mildred said, twirling her plait nervously.

"Well. I've decided to help you out, Mildred. You'll have a much easier time digesting all this information with a simple speed research spell." She said, holding up a book entitled, "Advanced Magical Memory Methods - Expert Edition"

"A simple what?!" Mildred shrieked, jumping to a stand and sending a few books tumbling from the table. "Ethel! You're going to use-?"

"Shh!" Ethel hissed, looking around the room. "Not so loud, Miss Hardbroom's going to hear you!"

"Ethel." Mildred said firmly, yet just above a whisper, "We are absolutely not using any sort of magic to get through this. We could get into serious trouble!"

"Correction: _you're_ absolutely not using any sort of magic to get us through this. _You_ most definitely could get us into serious trouble. Me, on the other hand..."

"Ethel you can't be serious!" Mildred hissed quietly. "Your magic is what got us here in the first place! And that book says 'advanced' and 'expert' on it!"

"But I did manage to do something complicated, didn't I? Miss Hardbroom said it was so advanced, even _she_ wasn't sure about-"

"Yes but by ACCIDENT, Ethel! You didn't intend to perform advanced magic, it just happened because I moved. I could easily say _I_ was the one that did it!"

"But you weren't. I was. Maybe it was an accident, but perhaps it shows my true potential. I'd say, Mildred Hubble, that perhaps you're a bit jealous."

"Jealous!" Mildred shouted incredulously. She shook her head in wonder, "you're actually serious about all this, aren't you?"

"Why wouldn't I be? Everyone knows how badly you want to get on Miss Hardbroom's good side, and I can't say I've exactly avoided that position. Now I offer to help you, and you turn me down because you can't bear to see me out-perform you once again?"

"Ethel this isn't anything like that! Trust me-"

"You know what? Fine. You're right. I don't need you upstaging me anyway." She folded her arms and took her place at her pile of books. "But I could definitely use some help..." She muttered under her breath. Why would she offer to make Mildred look good anyway? She should definitely use the spell on her own books, then Miss Hardbroom would have even more of a reason to be impressed with her and less-than-impressed with Hubble Bubble.

* * *

The room was silent again; the only sound from Constance's quiet breathing. Morgana squinted at the ceiling. Human eyes didn't work very well at night, she realised. She always wondered why her mother had to carry that cumbersome box of light with her when it was dark.

She suddenly sat bolt upright in the bed, her warning senses tingling. She turned to the sleeping woman, and began nudging her desperately.

"Mummy, wake up!" She whispered frantically into her ear. Constance came to quickly, her eyes snapping open to meet Morgana's yellow ones. "Something is wrong," Morgana said quietly, her eyes widening in alarm, "do you feel it, too?"

Constance sat upright in bed, shifting the girl's weight off her arm. She narrowed her eyes at the blackness before her. "Yes," she answered, "thank you."

Morgana watched as Constance folded her arms, and grabbed one arm to stop her. "Will you take me with you this time, mummy? I'm afraid," The girl whispered shakily.

"Afraid?" Constance asked as her eyebrows went up, "Afraid of what?"

"My girl eyes don't work like my cat eyes," she said nervously, "this dark is very black!"

Constance couldn't help the tiny smile that appeared on her face. "Come along then," she answered, folding her arms again, and pulling Morgana along with her as she disappeared.

* * *

Ethel looked at the book in front of her and took a deep breath as she opened the cover. On the first page "Constance Hardbroom" was scrawled in the teacher's familiar elegant handwriting. Her personal volume; Ethel drew in a shaky breath. The pages seemed to hold a power of their own - or was that perhaps her own power finding its way into her fingertips? She turned to the index and scanned its contents, arriving at the spell that would save her reputation.

Mildred resumed her reading, shaking her head in confusion. Could Ethel really be so naïve? Could she really possibly think that she'd be able to fix things so easily? She strained her ears worriedly as she heard what seemed like quiet muttering coming from behind Ethel's book stacks. Her heart rate quickened... was she really going to-?

ZAP! The crackle of magical force was so strong, the energy in the air made Mildred's hair stand on end. At the moment of the noise, every book on the table snapped open, and their pages began turning, as if a fan had been turned on them. Mildred jumped backward, nearly falling off her chair. "Ethel! What have you done?!"

Ethel smiled, "Oh, don't worry. I won't let Miss Hardbroom think you had anything to do with this. When I find the answer, she'll know that I finished mountains of books in my search. And you'll still have... those three."

Mildred glanced over and noticed her three completed books were the only ones not participating in the page-turning frenzy. She turned to the other books, watching certain words leap from the pages, and hover in midair. So far, she noticed "cat," "inadvertent," and "transformation," floating above her head. She had to admit, the spell was pretty impressive, but an uneasy feeling began to brew in the pit of her stomach.

As if on cue, another loud crackle sent the spell into overdrive.

All at once, books began flying off the shelves, chucking themselves onto the table, flinging themselves open, and violently rifling their pages. The force of the energies began to create a mini-whirlwind, the winds whipping up to a small gale, strong enough to begin to tear the pages from some of the volumes.

"Ethel, stop it!" Mildred screamed out, her plaits coming loose from the force of the gusts.

"I'm not doing anything!" Ethel yelled back over the roar of the winds, "I... I don't know what's happening!" She cried.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" A booming voice bellowed over the whistling gale. Constance and Morgana appeared in the center of the raging storm, their hair whipping about their faces wildly; they looked quite the imposing pair. Mildred shrunk back in fear, while Ethel took a step forward, clenching her fists.

"I'm afraid my spell got a bit out of hand, Miss Hardbroom," Ethel nearly shouted over the ruckus. She was confident that although they were out of bed past curfew, Miss Hardbroom would be so awestruck with the strength of such an advanced spell, that perhaps she'd forgive her. Or better yet, gawp in admiration and promote her to the fifth year.

Miss Hardbroom was not impressed, however. Not in the slightest. And in that moment, she finally saw Ethel Hallow for what she truly was – a haughty, irresponsible, immature young witch, that would need some serious refining.

Constance shook out her hand and prepared to perform a strong reversal spell. She began to gather her energies, focusing them into a cluster in her palm. Though she'd never admit it, Constance thoroughly enjoyed these moments – when a student would get into advanced magical trouble. She loved using her magic for something challenging - a challenge that matched her strengths and gave her the opportunity to actually put some effort into what she was doing. Constance pulled in a deep breath through her nose and prepared herself for the release – a moment of silence, and then – angry jets of bright blue light shot out from her fingertips, attacking the magical presence in the air until it had no choice but to wither out of existence. The room instantly went silent, a few stray papers fluttering slowly to the floor. Constance blew on the tips of her fingers for effect and folded her arms, a permanent scowl plastered on her face.

Ethel realised she wasn't going to get off as easily as she'd thought. "I can explain!" She shouted suddenly, trying to combat her deputy head's grave expression.

"Save it, Ethel." Constance growled. "No mincing of words could possibly salvage your reputation at this point." She spoke sharply, her words daggers in Ethel's morale. "You will both report to the staffroom at the first crack of dawn tomorrow morning. Until then, you will be in bed. And nowhere else. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Miss Hardbroom," they chorused.

She looked them over in silence for a moment, then flicked her wrist at the pair, sending each of them to their rooms.

"Don't we like Ethel, mummy?" A small voice spoke up. Constance nearly jumped in alarm, she'd forgotten that she'd brought the girl with her.

She hesitated, pondering the girl's words for a moment. Don't we like Ethel? _We did… until we came to understand her true character…_ "The tables have turned, Morgana." Constance spoke softly. "Let's get to bed."

* * *

Not enough hours later, Constance awoke to the quiet, rhythmic breathing of a little girl. She startled for a moment until the previous day's happenings came to the front of her mind.

She somehow shifted herself away from the sleeping girl, carefully so as not to wake her.

She groggily clambered out of bed, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the first light of morning. Constance glanced back at Morgana, and found herself unable to look away. She stared for a minute - watched her chest rise and fall with each breath - and wondered what her life would be like if the spell couldn't be reversed... what it would be like to raise this sudden... _daughter_... of hers. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly as she imagined the little girl tagging along as she prowled the halls, and helping her gather ingredients at dawn. No, she corrected her selfish fantasy; this wasn't right. This girl was the result of tainted magic, and tainted magic had to be corrected.

She took one last look at the girl before retreating to her dressing table to get ready for the day.

* * *

Soon afterwards, Mildred and Ethel found themselves standing quietly outside of the staff room, waiting to be allowed in. They heard a lot of pacing, and what sounded like Miss Hardbroom's angry ranting. Suddenly, the door swung open violently, revealing a steaming mad Miss Hardbroom across the room, returning her spell casting fingers into the crook of her folded arms.

"Enter." She commanded them. Miss Cackle sat with steepled fingers, peering over her spectacles at the pair. It was her expression, rather than the deputy head's, that caused Mildred to hang her head in shame. Miss Cackle was severely disappointed.

"It has come to my attention that there was a… _blatant_ disregard for my rules last night." Miss Cackle said slowly, her eyes on her desk. Miss Hardbroom's eyes flicked back and forth quickly between Ethel and Mildred; her nostrils flared. Miss Cackle looked up at the pair. "Wandering out of bed past curfew… entering the restricted section of the library…" at this Ethel reddened, "…Taking an advanced spell book—"

" _My_ advanced spell book." Miss Hardbroom hissed.

"—and attempting to perform one of its spells?" Miss Cackle finished, disbelief written on her face.

Mildred stole a glance at Ethel and watched her hastily brush at her cheek. Were her eyes tearing, or was it a trick of the light?

Miss Cackle continued, "If it were up to your deputy head here, suffice it to say, the two of you would no longer be welcome here in Cackle's Academy." Mildred let out an involuntary gasp and momentarily locked eyes with Miss Hardbroom, who quickly looked away. "Luckily for you, it is I who has the final say in the matter." She let her words hang for a moment to study the girls' faces. "Your original punishment stands – you will continue your research throughout the day today, and continue tomorrow if you do not find what you are looking for." Mildred and Ethel nodded. "In addition, Mildred Hubble, you will write a 500 word essay on the importance of getting to bed at a decent hour?" Mildred nodded again. "And you, Ethel Hallow…" Miss Cackle gave the girl a hard glare – a rare sight from the usually cheery and friendly headmistress – "Miss Hardbroom has decided to deal with you herself. She says you've already disobeyed the last magical warning she gave you, and must deal quite strictly with you." Ethel glanced over at Miss Hardbroom, who was staring intently at Miss Cackle. "Mildred, you may leave. Please go straight to the library and continue where you left off last night."

"Yes, Miss Cackle. Thank you, Miss Cackle." Mildred replied meekly, and quickly hurried out of the room, not wanting to witness Ethel's sentencing.

The room was thick with tension – angry sparks leapt from Miss Hardbroom's fingertips – and Miss Cackle sported a deep scowl. The ticking of the clock mocked the young criminal as it calmly continued its circle, the only object in the room daring to make a noise. Ethel had never noticed it before, but a minute was an awfully long time. After several more of them spent in agonising silence, Miss Hardbroom finally spoke.

"Ethel Hallow," Miss Hardbroom said her name slowly, encircling the girl like a vulture circles its prey. "You have made a very grave mistake."

* * *

 **A/N: I somehow find myself feeling kinda sorry for Ethel! (But only a bit ;)) Hope it's not too much of a cliffhanger… we'll hopefully get to see more of Morgana in 5. Please REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! ^_^**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I'm baaaaack! Has it really been so long since I last updated this thing?! Thank Gd life's been moving along… had another kid between then and now! ;) But definitely haven't forgotten about this story, and I really do appreciate the follows, favorites, and the comments that are (still!) coming in. Please keep them coming! I apologize for the divider lines... some aren't showing up on my side of the screen.. hope it's clear where there's a break in the story. I will try to wrap this up in the near future so as not to keep you all waiting too long. Let me know what you think! Detailed reviews are gold!

Enjoy!

* * *

"Ethel's _what_?" Drusilla demanded, jumping out of bed.

"In with Miss Hardbroom. In really, _really_ big trouble." Mildred repeated, breathless.

Drusilla stood still, unsure if she should believe what she'd heard. Ethel? In big trouble with Miss Hardbroom? "What's she done?" She asked Mildred.

"Long story… but HB's really angry. We've got to help her, come on!" Mildred said frantically, turning to leave.

Drusilla studied her for a moment. "This is a trick, isn't it?" She asked.

Mildred stopped in her tracks and turned back to face Drusilla. "What?"

"You just want me to come with you so you can get me into some sort of Hubble Bubble Trouble don't you? Well, it won't work. I'm not coming." She said, folding her arms.

Mildred shook her head. "No, no, no… you don't understand. Last night after lights out, Ethel came to help me with the research and—"

"Help you? Somehow this story is getting less believable by the minute." Drusilla said, raising an eyebrow.

"No! It's true! Honest! She cast some really big spell and turned the library into a wreck and HB is steaming mad!" Mildred insisted.

"And _you_ were there and _you_ aren't in any trouble?" Drusilla asked.

"I've got to write an essay. But Ethel… oh, Ethel. I can safely swear that I have never seen Miss Hardbroom so furious about anything, She looks like she might do something awful to her…"

"And why do you care? This is bound to be the best day of your life."

"Ethel may not like me, but she's still a person. And she's made a mistake. She didn't mean for things to get so out of hand…"

Drusilla sighed. "You are an enigma, Mildred Hubble." She searched Mildred's face – creased with worry – and took a deep breath. "I don't know why I believe you, but somehow I think I do." She bit her lip. "Okay, I'm in. Let's go."

* * *

Constance was miffed.

Furious fire roared within her heart. How could the girl have gone and done something so stupid? She'd always thought Ethel was one of the clever ones. And now, the girl she'd so admired had stolen something of hers and abused the power within it. The brutal sting of betrayal toyed with her emotions until Constance couldn't think clearly. She was overwhelmed by an intense desire to hand over a sentence so brutal, the girl would never be seen in the halls again. Yet, her thoughts argued within her. Emotions versus logic. A very new battle to Constance Hardbroom, as the two were usually one and the same.

Though it was hard, she fought through her feelings to reach the evasive logic. And then it occurred to her: she'd have to teach Ethel to be able to do the same.

Ethel Hallow would have to learn to separate her emotions from her magic. But was teaching her this lesson Constance's job? Or was it the role of Ethel's parents? Why did she suddenly feel responsible for something that was not her responsibility? Unless…

Was being a mother beginning to make her soft?

Constance narrowed her eyes. Could it be that her little charge was causing her to… care more? To notice the little nuances that needed her attention? To have an even stronger, almost motherly, desire to protect and refine these young witches?

Constance shook her head. She couldn't expel the girl. How would she ever learn to correct her ways? But to allow a witch in her school to allow her emotions to tell her what to do… perhaps….

Ethel watched as Miss Hardbroom's stony cold glare softened slightly, and her mouth parted in awe. Could it be that she'd had a change of heart?

Constance fought through her frustrations and arrived at an idea. "I am going to place a spell on you, Ethel," Miss Hardbroom began, raising her spell casting fingers as she spoke. Ethel's heart began to thud.

"A... a spell?" She squeaked.

"Yes. A spell," Constance repeated, "But not just any spell. This spell is one that I have fabricated on my own, just for you, on this very occasion." She said, smiling inwardly. Ethel's lip quivered and her eyes began to tear. What tyrannies would Miss Hardbroom unleash on her? "Come now, Ethel. Would I hurt you?" She responded to the girl's unvoiced thoughts of concern.

Ethel didn't answer.

Constance sighed, lowering her hand. When would the girls ever learn that her strict and scolding manner was only to teach them to be more? To be better? "It is my duty as your deputy headmistress and as your form tutor to protect you with my life. Any punishment I dole out is solely for the purpose of refining you, do you understand?"

"Yes, Miss Hardbroom." Ethel answered softly.

"This spell will have an interesting effect on you. If you cannot keep your emotions in check – that is, if they begin to intensify – then your magic will begin to be blocked. As long as your emotions control your actions, your magic will be inaccessible. It's a balance. Regulate your emotions, and your magical channels will remain open. Lose yourself and they will be barricaded." Constance was pleased with her brilliant plan, though Ethel still seemed confused. "Perhaps you'll find yourself getting upset with, oh let's say, Mildred Hubble. The angrier you get, the less of your magic will be accessible to you. At a certain point of emotional intensity, none will be available at all." With this explanation, Ethel finally understood, and was crestfallen. "This spell will not hurt you, Ethel," Constance said. "At least not physically."

Ethel nodded, looking down at the floor.

Miss Hardbroom pointed her spell casting fingers and began to intone the spell under her breath. She waved her hand and Ethel squeezed her eyes shut - she couldn't bear to watch Miss Hardbroom cast on her. The spell felt warm as it entered her body, encircling her reserves until it levelled out within her. Ethel opened her eyes in time to see Miss Hardbroom lowering her hand.

"The spell will remain in place for the rest of the week. No one will know about it, unless you attempt to cast a spell while your emotions are at peak." Ethel nodded. "Do you have any questions?"

Ethel did have a question, though she didn't dare voice it. "I am not going to expel you, Ethel." Miss Hardbroom answered, as though reading her thoughts. "You have far too much potential, and I can see that these occurrences come from a place of weakness rather than maliciousness."

Although it nauseated her, Ethel was beginning to accept weakness as a new reality. "Thank you, Miss." She managed.

"You may get to the library to continue you research. I trust this spell will be our secret, hmm?" Constance asked, narrowing her eyes.

Ethel dipped her head in agreement and trudged out of the staff room, eager to escape Miss Hardbroom's penetrating gaze.

* * *

Outside the staff room, Drusilla and Mildred had just rounded the corner in a frantic run.

"Ethel!" Drusilla gasped, dashing over to her. "What happened? What's she done to you?!"

Ethel stood silently, the sting of swallowed emotion burning her throat. She wanted nothing more than to disappear – to be able to vanish the way that _she_ could. Ethel shook her head and said nothing. Then she turned on her heel and hurried off down the corridor toward the direction of the library.

Drusilla and Mildred looked at each other, eyes wide.

"What just happened?" Drusilla asked. Mildred gave a worried shrug and ran off to catch up with Ethel.

* * *

Morgana spread out her arms and flopped backwards onto the bed, landing with a little bounce. She looked up at the ceiling, her mind running through the events of the past day. It was nice to be human. Delicious tasting food, the ability to speak, opposable thumbs… and to have someone to care deeply about you and take care of you… somehow that felt even more delicious as a girl. She closed her eyes and smiled - what she would give to be able to train to be a witch like her mum. Though she did miss the way her cat food tasted… and running around at night while being able to see clearly… and—

A scratch at the door interrupted her thoughts. She bounded over and peered underneath.

"Tabby!" Morgana yelled cheerfully. Tabby pushed the door open and dashed into the room, nearly knocking Morgana over. Morgana giggled and stroked the kitten behind his ears. "Fancy seeing you in here! Mum would have your head if she knew!" She burst into a fit of giggles.

"Hi!" Tabby mewed. "You smell funny as a girl." He said, giving her a sniff.

"Mummy washed my hair with some smelly goo this morning," she said, sticking out her tongue. " _Shampee_ was it?" She wondered, scratching her head.

"Shampee, eh?" Tabby thought aloud. "Could it be… shampoo, maybe?"

"Yes, yes, that's it. Sham _poo_." Morgana said. "Strange smell."

"Want to go bird hunting?" Tabby asked, leaping down from the girl's lap. "I… I mean, can you still hunt… in your… _condition_?" He whispered cautiously.

"Hmm… I suppose these legs aren't as fast, but they can probably give a good run." She said, standing and testing them out. "Why not? Let's give it a go."

"Yes!" Tabby cheered excitedly.

The two cats sprinted out of the room, eager to run around in the fresh spring air.

* * *

Constance took a deep breath and sat heavily in a chair. She'd felt so… _conflicted_ casting her spell on Ethel. Had she gone too far? Was casting such a spell on a student even legal? She couldn't help but worry that perhaps her maternal side was interfering a bit too much lately. Blast this whole situation. Leave it to Mildred Hubble to cause the formidable Constance Hardbroom to become an emotional, self-doubting wreck.

* * *

Ethel and Mildred sat across from each other, each opening book after book, skimming, reading, researching. Not a word was uttered between them; the only sound in the library was the occasional turning of a page. Mildred stole an occasional glance at Ethel, whose face was creased with anxiety, a pained look in her eyes. She wondered what had happened in the staff room earlier that day.

"Ethel?" Mildred croaked.

Ethel raised her gaze slowly to meet Mildred's.

"Are… are you alright?" Mildred asked.

Ethel nodded slowly.

"Did she… what… did she do to you?" She asked hesitantly.

Ethel just stared in response. "It doesn't matter," she finally spoke in an unsteady voice, "Let's just get this over with." And her nose went right back into her book.

Mildred couldn't help her curiosity – but she knew what curiosity could kill – and she didn't want any of _that,_ thank you very much _._

Ethel grimaced. She felt like a prisoner. Like a slave. It was unnerving – the fact that someone else was in control of something within her. But wasn't that the point? The spell was in place, Miss Hardbroom explained, so that Ethel could learn to control her magic on her own. To defeat her emotions that usually took the reins. Right. Ethel sighed and continued to read about ancient animal transformation spells. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Potions class looked sorely lacking with Mildred and Ethel's chairs empty, Enid noticed. The braniac and the trouble-maker were both absent, and class today was, somehow, even more boring.

"Open your textbooks to page 32." Miss Hardbroom said. "Today we will be practising the art of the sleeping draught." Constance expected excited whispers, or at least a groan of protest, but the class was unusually quiet this morning. "Any questions?" She asked, hoping for some sort of interaction. "No? Then you may read the chapter quietly to yourselves. When everyone has finished we will begin."

* * *

"Almost got him!" Tabby cheered. "You can do it, Gana!"

Morgana laughed and broke into a run, leaping into the air, trying to scoop up a bird from the flock that was trying to escape. She landed on her side in the plush grass, and quickly rolled onto all fours. She searched her field of view for the runaway…

"There! On that window sill!" Tabby whispered excitedly. "You'll get him there for sure!"

Morgana crept over toward the window, her crouch deepening, ready to pounce. She licked her lips excitedly, and a sly smile crept up her face with each step she took.

* * *

The room was quiet, peaceful, and… well, Ethel-and-Mildred-free. Constance closed her eyes for a brief moment to enjoy the rarity of the situation.

But in Constance's potions class, even a brief moment was one moment too long.

 _CRASH!_ Came a horrifying cacophony of cauldrons being knocked to the floor. Constance's eyes flew open, ready to scold whichever young witch began her work ahead of time—but the perpetrator was not a witch at all.

A little girl sat crouched on the ground, a bird pinned under her cupped hands, wings flapping, desperate to escape. A smile crawled up her face as she licked her lips happily.

 _Morgana!_ Enid mouthed to Maud, who covered her gaping mouth with her hand.

"Morgana!" Constance scolded.

The girl looked up suddenly, turning her head to take in her surroundings. She hadn't realised that she'd landed in her mother's lab.

"Release it." Constance warned.

Morgana's face flushed and she quickly released the bird, who recovered a few moments later and flew out the window. The little girl stood up quickly, and put her hands behind her back innocently. The room filled with those whispers Constance found herself missing just a short time ago. "Quiet." She intoned. There. That was better.

She addressed Morgana again, "Please find a more productive way to spend your time."

"Yes, mummy, sorry, mummy." the little girl replied, and was greeted by a chorus of "aww!"s and hushed conversations.

"That's enough, girls." Constance repeated. She turned to face the board to continue her lesson, and Morgana slinked out of the room.

* * *

"What do you suppose Morgana's up to right now?" Mildred asked, pointing to the word she was up to in "Magical Maladies" to hold her place.

"Erm… I don't know." Ethel replied shortly. How could Mildred be so carefree right now to be carrying on a conversation? Ethel was missing classes! She was falling behind! Her last chance at maintaining any sense of self-respect was slowly disintegrating with every waking moment she spent holed up in this sorry excuse for a library!

"Do you think she's happy as a girl?" Mildred asked.

"Er… I suppose?" Ethel replied, annoyed. Where was she going with this?

"I found something interesting in this book…" Mildred said. Ethel perked up. "If the victim of a spell is content with the effects of the spell, it could be more difficult, if not impossible to remove." She read. "Magical energies within the victim's body must cooperate with the external, counteractive magic in order to be released."

"Interesting." Ethel said. "So it sounds like we've got to make sure Morgana isn't having too grand of a time, then."

"But how do we do that?" Mildred asked.

"How indeed?" Ethel pondered, the long-rusted gears in her head beginning to turn again. _How indeed…_

* * *

A/N: So? What did you think? Don't you love Tabby and "Gana"? Can't get over them! Reviews = updates :) Love you all!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Yes! Is this my longest chapter yet? I hope it's a good one… I feel like the last one fell a bit flat after a year of waiting. Perhaps this one will make up for it? Would love to hear what you think!**

* * *

"How's the research going, Milly?" Maud asked, cautiously stirring the unidentified slop in her bowl.

"It's alright… I don't think I've ever read so many books in my life." Mildred admitted. The group chuckled.

"So? Are you any closer to solving the mystery?" Jadu asked, fiddling with her spoon.

"Erm… not really. But we did come across something interesting just before…"

"Interesting? What kind of interesting?" Enid probed.

"Well…"

"Don't tell her, Milly. I don't like that tone. That's Enid's thinking voice." Maud warned.

"Her _plotting_ voice." Ruby added. The girls all laughed again.

"I'm just curious. Honest." Enid snickered, propping her head on her hand. "So what have you got?"

"We read something. That if you try and reverse a spell, the person you cast on has to _want_ the spell to be removed. If they're happy with the spell in place, it could almost impossible to remove."

The girls pondered this. "Morgana's got to be the happiest little girl I've ever seen." Ruby mused.

"I agree," Maud said. "Maybe Miss Hardbroom should just keep her as a girl?"

"Keep her as a girl? She'd be downright miserable. Can you picture Hardbroom as a long-term mummy?" Enid said, raising her eyebrows.

"I think it's cute!" Jadu giggled.

"It's not right." Mildred put in. "If Morgana were meant to be a girl, Miss Hardbroom would've done it herself ages ago. We've got to change her back."

"Well then, that settles it. We'd better get to work on making a little girl cry." Enid said evilly.

"Enid!" Maud scolded.

Mildred rolled her eyes and stood up to bring her tray to the waste bin. Suddenly, she felt a tug at her bootlaces and a very familiar scene began to take place. Caught on something she couldn't see, her laces pulled taught and she found herself crashing to the ground, her tray flying out of her hands. She landed on her side and skidded across the rough stone floor, squeezing her eyes shut and offering a silent prayer to whoever was listening that her leftovers hadn't landed on anyone.

Unfortunately, they had. And that someone was possibly the worst someone that fate could have chosen.

"Look what you've done, Mildred!" Ethel spat, disgusted. Mildred opened her eyes and looked up at her, wincing. It had been a direct hit. Slop dripped from her haughty nose and she folded her arms in fury.

"I'm so sorry!" Mildred called out, jumping to a stand. "I didn't realise my bootlaces were undone…"

"You didn't realise? How could you possibly not realise?" Ethel yelled, "Is there ever a time when they _are_ done up? Do you just roll out of bed and jump into them without even bothering to tie them?" Ethel's temper rose along with her voice. "It's a good thing I've been practising this clean up spell!" She spat, holding out her arms and waving them angrily. She opened her eyes, but was still sodden with slop.

"That's some spell, Ethel." Enid laughed. "Didn't miss a spot!"

The great hall echoed with laughter and Ethel huffed. "Never mind, I wasn't concentrating well, that's all." She waved her arms again, but nothing happened. Just then, she looked up and locked eyes with Miss Hardbroom, who quickly looked away. _The angrier you get, the less of your magic will be accessible to you…_ Miss Hardbroom's voice echoed in her thoughts. Ethel paled, her eyes widening in horror. She was rendered powerless… and the thought truly _scared_ her.

Mildred noticed the complete change in Ethel, and the quick moment between her and Miss Hardbroom. "Is everything alright, Ethel?" She whispered.

Ethel's eyes began to tear, and Constance decided to save the girl from any more humiliation.

"That's enough gawping, girls." She said as she appeared in front of Ethel, sending the audience back to their seats. She waved her hand and had Ethel cleaned up. "Mildred Hubble and Ethel Hallow," she sang impatiently, "Lunch is now over for you. I would wisely suggest that the two of you make your way back to the library _immediately_ , before either of you find yourselves in even deeper trouble."

* * *

"Pssst!" Came a hiss in the corridor. Morgana stopped in her tracks and turned to the source of the sound.

"Who's that?"

"It's me," came a distinctly cat voice, its owner padding toward her.

Morgana rolled her eyes, "What do _you_ want Nightstar? Need I remind you that I am a human now? Not to mention I'm about 20 years your senior." She growled, threateningly.

"I need your help." Nightstar said uneasily, "Your mother made my mother sad."

Morgana folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at the cat, "Pfft. _Your_ mother made _my_ mother angry."

Nightstar dipped his head. "I'm sorry for the way she behaved. She's sorry. I've never seen her this sad. You've got to do something." He pleaded.

"What do I owe you, Nightstar?" Morgana hissed, "You haven't exactly made a friend in me."

Nightstar padded about in nervous circles. He'd never expected to have to come to Morgana about anything, but he was beyond desperate. Ethel had been turning into a mere shell of her former self. "I'll do anything, Morgana. Please. I can't continue to see her like this."

Morgana knelt down and looked into Nightstar's eyes. As far as she could tell, he was being sincere – something that genuinely surprised her. She sighed. "All right. I'll speak to her. But I'm not making any promises." She said.

Nightstar nodded appreciatively. "Thank you," he said, dipping his head again. "I really do appreciate it."

* * *

The library was slowly making her stir-crazy. Mildred tried to think of something other than the thousands of spines surrounding her. She tried not to see the shelves, feel the paper, smell the musty old library smell. She hadn't spent this much time with books in her entire life combined. It was getting her queasy. She closed the book she'd been reading and looked at Ethel. The girl was hunched over a book, her face worn and tired looking. Throughout the past few days, Mildred had begun to see a side of Ethel that she'd never known existed. Ethel was slowly becoming a soft, damaged, fragile façade of the tough and haughty girl she'd been known as. And the look on Ethel's face after she'd seen Miss Hardbroom… Mildred shuddered at the thought. She'd never seen Ethel look so vulnerable; except for the time when Miss Hardbroom had ridiculed her for thinking she was so advanced….

"Ethel?" Mildred tried.

Ethel heard Mildred's voice, but it didn't elicit the irritation it usually did. Where she'd normally respond with a snappish, " _what?"_ , instead she found herself answering with a soft "Hmm?"

"Is everything alright?" Mildred asked cautiously. She twirled her plait nervously. "What happened in there just before? With the spell? And Miss Hardbroom?"

Ethel's eyes snapped to Mildred's at the mention of the deputy's name. "What about Miss Hardbroom?" She asked cautiously.

"Well, er… I saw the way she looked at you after your spell didn't work. Did… did she do something to you? You know, earlier today when she…"

Mildred trailed off as Ethel put her head down on the table. Ethel squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will the tears away… but it only succeeded in bringing them on. "She's taken control of my powers, Mildred." She whispered sadly.

Mildred gasped and brought her hand up to her gaping mouth. "She's what?" She asked, incredulous. "Is that even – how did she…?"

"She's placed a spell on me that… limits my use of magic." Ethel said quietly. Why? Why was she telling the stupid girl all of this? She'd figure that out later. For now, it felt almost therapeutic to talk about it. "That's what happened in there. I tried to cast a cleanup spell, but… I couldn't. My magic was gone."

Mildred saw the girl in an entirely new light. She couldn't help the pity she felt for the battered young girl sitting so vulnerably before her. "I'm so sorry, Ethel. That… that must've been awful. Dreadful, really."

"Yeah…" Ethel sighed, raising her head and fingering the corner of the page she'd been reading. She closed her eyes and let out a long, shuddering breath.

Mildred sat by silently, wondering what to say. It was becoming very difficult to see Ethel this way. She almost wished Ethel would be back to normal so she could go on disliking her again. _Almost_. "We're going to figure this out, you know." She said at last, causing the once-haughty girl to look up at her in surprise.

"I don't know…" she said, shaking her head in defeat.

"There's got to be a fix. It's in one of these books. And I won't give up until we find it. You have my word."

Ethel looked into the girl's eyes. She'd never realised what a pretty colour they were. Not quite blue, but not quite green either. She looked down again, overcome with emotion. "Thank you, Mildred." She managed, her voice cracking with the weight of the words. "For everything."

* * *

"Constance, it's been over a full day now. Don't you think Ethel Hallow and Mildred Hubble ought to get a small break in their research?" Miss Cackle asked, concerned about her students' well-being.

"Small break?" Constance repeated, her eyebrows going up, "One full day of missed lessons is quite a small price to pay for the appalling behaviour they have demonstrated. Let's not forget that my cat is currently a _human_."

"Oh, yes, Constance. But a _cute_ human!" Miss Bat squealed. Constance ignored her.

"Wasn't it just Ethel?" Imogen spoke up, "Why is Mildred being punished as well?"

"First of all, Miss Drill, Mildred Hubble offered her services - with quite a guilty look on her face I might add."

Imogen rolled her eyes, "I'll bet she had nothing to do with it. You really have something against the poor girl, don't you?"

"Yes, Constance, I agree," Davina chimed in, her mouth half-full. "You certainly have it out for her," she added, taking a big bite of fruit salad.

"Don't be absurd. I serve consequences where consequences are due. Were either of you at the scene of the crime? Believe me, both parties are serving time they deserve."

"To be honest, Constance, Ethel and Mildred are a bit behind in my class now…" Miss Cackle spoke up, peering over her half-moon-shaped glasses. "Would it be so terrible for Morgana to remain human for a bit longer? Until tomorrow perhaps?"

With all eyes on her, Constance deflated. "Tomorrow?" She looked around the room at the rest of the staff, hoping for someone to share her thoughts. She wouldn't find a kindred spirit. Not here. Not ever. She opened her mouth to talk, but no words came out. How could she tell them how uncomfortable the little girl made her? How she'd been avoiding any sort of interaction with her to avoid the discomfort of feeling anything at all? Constance certainly couldn't admit any of it. Perhaps to Amelia alone, but she'd rather die than allow miss non-witch and miss-looney-bin to see a speck of vulnerability soil her unsullied name.

"Yes, tomorrow. Just until tomorrow." Amelia said, adjusting her glasses and standing. "I think it will be positive all around. The girls will get a breather, catch up on lessons, Morgana will have another night as a girl. And tomorrow they'll begin again, hopefully in a more proactive state."

"Y-yes, Headmistress." Constance stuttered quickly. She stole to the corner of the room and busied herself with some important looking paperwork, lest the others spot the tears pricking her eyes or the fear pricking her heart.

* * *

"It's no use." Ethel sulked, tossing another book onto the ever-growing pile. It landed with a thud and produced a cloud of dust.

The girls coughed and spluttered. "Nothing in that one?" Mildred asked, "I thought for sure 'Magical Mishaps' would shed some light on this."

Ethel put her head on the desk, "this is hopeless," she complained, "I'll bet Miss Hardbroom knows exactly what's going on and just wants to watch us suffer."

"I haven't the slightest idea what is 'going on,' Ethel, as you so eloquently put it," Miss Hardbroom said sternly as she appeared, "and by the looks of these book towers, neither do either of you."

"No, Miss Hardbroom," the girls said dejectedly.

"Well, for some strange reason, Miss Cackle feels you two should be given the rest of the day off from your research," She said, looking at the ceiling.

The girls looked at each other, relieved.

"But don't act too smug. For now, you'll report straight to your lessons and continue your research tomorrow morning."

* * *

"Alright, girls," Miss Drill called, blowing her whistle. "Queue up! Today's our 5 mile run and we don't want to waste a minute!" She said cheerfully. The girls groaned in response.

"I'm not looking forward to this at all," Jadu moaned, stretching her left leg.

"Tell me about it," Enid said, annoyed. "Why do they insist on torturing us like this?"

"I probably wouldn't mind a ten minute run. But Drill has us running for hours." Ruby complained, reaching her arm behind her back.

"At least you guys all finish around the same time. I'm always last – I trip over everything – it always slows me down." Mildred sighed. "Why do you think I volunteered to help Ethel in the library in the first place? At least I would've spent the day sitting down. And safe."

"Speaking of tripping… and Ethel… what on earth happened with her at lunch?" Enid asked, suspiciously. "Since when does Ethel have a hard time with her spells?"

Mildred knelt down to tie her laces, trying to avoid the conversation. Poor Ethel. She'd taken one hit after another to her self-image. And she didn't exactly have a great group of friends to go to about it, either. The girls wondered and theorised, and Mildred slowly tied a third knot on her left trainer.

"Something the matter, Milly?" Maud asked quietly, kneeling next to her.

Mildred shook her head, coming out of her thoughts. "No. Why?"

"You've been doing up your laces for the past five minutes." Maud teased.

Mildred smiled. Her best friend knew her well. "I'm just worried about Ethel." Mildred said quietly as the pair stood up.

"About _Ethel_?" Maid repeated.

Mildred nodded. "She's breaking down, Maud. Haven't you noticed it? She hasn't been miss bossy boots at all lately."

"Well, you sort of spilled your entire lunch all over her. And she's had to spend all of yesterday and part of today holed up in the library with you." Maud shrugged, trying to come up with an explanation.

"Yeah... I suppose you're right." Mildred replied. She'd just have to leave it at that. After all, she couldn't tell Maud about everything she'd seen. She couldn't add another dagger to Ethel's quickly depleting morale.

"Mildred Hubble and Maud Moonshine! Are you two going to stand around chatting all day? Let's get moving, girls!" Miss Drill called out, already a few paces ahead with the rest of the group.

* * *

"And who can tell me what ingredients go into a lightweight potion?" Constance rattled off, expecting no one to offer an answer.

Mildred's mouth parted in awe as each ingredient quickly came to the front of her mind. She raised her hand hesitantly, and the entire class gasped as a unit.

Miss Hardbroom raised an eyebrow. "Mildred?"

"Eye of newt, stinging nettle, thistles picked at dawn, and the feather of a phoenix." She rattled off effortlessly.

"That... is correct." Miss Hardbroom answered slowly, her mouth unused to speaking the words. The class erupted into scattered waves of hushed whispers, wondering how Mildred could've known the answer. "Quiet," Miss Hardbroom intoned, and the chatter instantly ceased. "Dare I ask how you've acquired such sudden knowledge, Mildred?"

"I suppose it's from all the reading we've been doing in the library..." she said shyly.

"Really?" Miss Hardbroom stated, impressed, her eyebrows raising another millimeter. "And let that be a lesson to you, girls." She told the class. "It seems revision is not such a useless idea after all."

* * *

Mildred found herself sprawled out on her bed after a long day of catching up on lessons, exhaustion threatening to overwhelm her. She looked up at the plain, peeling ceiling, her mind racing with a million thoughts. This episode had been an outrageous one so far. Miss Hardbroom seemed on edge, and harsher, yet somehow perhaps a bit softer as well? Morgana was adorable, but Mildred had to come up with a way to get her to be a little less content. She didn't want to make the poor girl unhappy, but she really wanted the reversal spell to work. She so badly wanted things to return to normal. Especialy Ethel. Ohhh, Ethel. No change had bothered her more than the glaringly disturbing one occurring in Ethel Hallow. Mildred had never realised how much Ethel depended on her reputation. She didn't just want to be the best. She _had_ to be the best. It hurt Mildred terribly to see someone in such a state. She wondered about the girl. Did her family value her? Did her parents love her? Did anyone give her any sort of positive attention in her life? Or had she always been striving for perfection ever since she'd been in a cot? Lights out had been over two hours ago, but sleep, it seemed, was even further away.

* * *

"Shhh..." Morgana cooed quietly. She reached a tiny hand up and brushed her mother's hair out of her face. "Don't be afraid, mummy. It's only a dream." Morgana looked at the woman and frowned. She couldn't remember the last time her mother had had such a vivid nightmare. The woman clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, thrashing about in her sleep.

Morgana sat on her mother's chest, taking her face into her small hands. She waited for a response.

Constance finally relaxed under the little girl's touch, her eyes slowly fluttering open. She struggled to breathe - something heavy was pressing down on her chest. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the moonlight in the room, and the silhouette of little girl sitting on her.

"Morgana?" She asked hoarsely.

"You were having an awful nightmare, mummy. Was it about… her?" Morgana asked, her eyes widening.

Constance stared at the girl. Although she knew that this little stranger was her ever-present and loyal companion - the one being in the world she had shared her deepest secrets with - Constance was unused to discussing these private areas of her life with another person. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Yes," she whispered.

Morgana shook her head sadly. "We've left her mummy," she said, "She can't hurt us here. We're safe now, mummy."

Constance shook her head, her thoughts racing, heart pounding. It had always been so easy to vent her frustrations to her cat, who could do nothing more than mew and cuddle in response. The back and forth of this conversation, the plain as day emotions, reactions, responses... It was too much for her to handle.

Morgana felt her mother's unease. She took the witch's face into her hands again and looked her directly in the eye. "Calm down," she commanded her, attempting to send her calming energies from their new location in her girl body.

Constance felt the energies entering her body, but found it hard to accept them. Something about Morgana being human made each interaction with her that much more intimate. Constance couldn't stomach it.

Morgana felt her attempts being rejected and frowned, slowly lowering her hands. She looked into her mother's eyes sadly. "Let me help you," she said quietly.

"I'm fine," Constance muttered, her throat burning with swallowed emotion. "Thank you," she added, seeing the girl's hurt face.

Morgana leapt down from the bed and straightened her robes. She strode to the door, nose in the air, and tried to reach the handle.

"Where are you off to?"

"I need to take a walk." She said sternly, reaching as high as she could. She gave a tiny jump but still couldn't reach the knob. Defeated, she turned to her mother, raising an eyebrow and folding her arms.

Constance stared at the girl, in a classic Hardbroom stance, emotions playing tug of war with her heart. She wanted nothing more than to hold Morgana and apologise, and reassure her that everything was okay. But at the same time, she felt a strong urge to distance herself from the threat of… _feeling_ anything at all. She took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat, summoning her power to her temples. She narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaw, and the knob clicked, the door creaking loudly as it opened.

Morgana turned to the door and then turned back to the witch. She offered an appreciative look and scampered off down the hall, her tiny robes billowing out behind her.

Constance let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

* * *

A tear rolled down her cheek, and she mopped up the wetness under her nose with her sleeve. _This must be what crying feels like_ , she thought to herself. _How dreadful._

A small, distant noise brought her to the alert. She wished she could move her ears toward the source of the sound. Being a girl certainly made things more complicated. She strained to hear, and picked up the sound of boot soles scuffing stone floors. The footsteps grew closer and Morgana grew worried.

"Who is that?!" She whispered, her cries hissing in the dark. Her eyes darted about, but instead of the cat-like-clarity she was used to, she only saw shadows, dark, and thick. Things that swallowed whatever they touched, hiding them from the world. "I'll tell my mummy you're out of bed!" She tried again, hoping to ward off the enemy.

"Morgana?" Came a voice, soft and concerned, though there was definitely fear in it. The figure emerged from the darkened end of the corridor, and Morgana's heart rate quickened.

Frizz was visible first, followed by the plaits that struggled to contain it. Morgana sighed in relief, the defensive reaction fading. "Mummy will not be pleased, Mildred Hubble." She growled threateningly.

"Oh, please don't tell Miss Hardbroom! I... I just... heard someone crying. I wanted to make sure everything was okay."

Morgana continued to glare at the girl, unsure of whether she should be upset with her for trying to meddle into her business, or appreciative of the fact that she cared enough to come and find her.

"Was that you crying?" Mildred tried again.

Morgan's narrowed her eyes, her mother's natural reaction to a personal question. But something in Mildred's face showed her innocence. Was it concern? "'Maybe," Morgana offered, her tone still guarded.

Mildred giggled softly, causing Morgana to grow even more confused. Mildred studied the little girl's face, her tears glistening in the moonlight. "Is everything alright, Morgana?"

 _Typical Mildred trying to meddle in our personal business,_ a voice in her head scolded. But she shook it away... "I'm a bit sad." She whispered into the night. "Mummy's not so comfortable with me as a girl." She said softly, staring at the wall. "I mean, I know she still loves me, but it's not like it used to be. Not at all." She said, shaking her head sadly.

"No?" Mildred asked cautiously.

"She used to tell me _everything_. Her thoughts, worries, fears… really, everything. But she doesn't talk much anymore. And when she looks at me… her trust eyes aren't there. When I tried to help her tonight she…" Morgana let out a small sob. "She _rejected_ my energies. She sent them right back into me." She moaned, devastated.

Mildred was confused. "Sorry, er…. your _what_?"

Morgana sniffed. "Never mind, Mildred. I'm not even sure why I'm sharing this. Mummy would have my head if she knew." She brought her knees up and rested her head on them. A few minutes of silence passed between the pair, both lost in separate trains of thought. "You're a good person, Mildred Hubble." Morgana said, breaking the silence.

"Oh! I… er… thank you." Mildred shifted uncomfortably.

"No, really. Mummy likes you. She tells me often how it frustrates her that you're so unfocused… she says if only you'd be able to focus you'd be one of the best witches in the school."

"She… _Miss Hardbroom_ said that?!"

"Oh yes, she tells me all the time. She believes you're quite talented. But she says your lack of focus and the fact that you're ' _always at the source of the trouble'_ leads you astray…"

"I never knew Miss Hardbroom had anything but pure hatred for me." Mildred admitted.

"Oh... she's only strict 'cause she's got to be." Morgana shrugged, playing with the hem of her robes. "And you know, she hadn't had the easiest school life either." She added casually.

Mildred raised an eyebrow, and gulped. She didn't want to pry. But it did sound interesting - somehow she'd forgotten that Miss Hardbroom had been young once.

"She'd done great in secondary school. But college… it's hard to go back there. I have some very vivid, very unfortunate memories of my mum at Witch Training College. She had a cruel tutor."

"Mistress Broomhead?"

Morgana arched her back and flashed her fangs. "The name alone infuriates me. That evil witch almost destroyed her. Mummy is tough, strong, and quite powerful, though, so she survived. But I've seen that woman crush young witches who never recovered."

Mildred shivered and pulled the loose grey nightgown more tightly around her. Her mind swirled with curiously unfinished murky images of a young Miss Hardbroom. Should she push her luck? "What… what exactly did she do to her?"

"Well, to start, she'd lock me up any chance she could. Whenever mummy and I weren't training, I'd be stuffed into a cage half my size. Mistress Broomhead knew we could communicate, so she wanted to make sure we couldn't conspire."

"That's awful!"

"That's nothing." Morgana whispered, eyes wide. "I wish I could unsee all of the things I've seen. Mummy _still_ has nightmares…"

Mildred's eyes grew into saucers. "Miss Hardbroom has nightmares?" It was hard to believe the woman even had a fear.

Morgana stiffened suddenly, as though she were first realising that she'd let out too much. She turned to Mildred and smiled. "You know, I've heard a lot about you from Tabby." She said, changing the subject. "Not only are you talented, but you're a good friend, Mildred. Just like Tabs is."

Mildred blushed and picked at the fraying hem of her nightgown. She laughed inwardly – who would ever think she'd be having a midnight heart-to-heart with Miss Hardbroom's cat?

Morgana suddenly jumped up, staring off into space. Mildred watched her in silence, wondering what was going on. Morgana shook her head. "I've got to go. Mum's calling me." She said. Mildred knitted her brows. She hadn't heard anything. "Thanks for listening, Mildred. I feel loads better now. You really are a great friend." She said, standing up and dusting off the seat of her robe.

"Anytime." Mildred managed.

Morgana began to scuttle down the darkened corridor toward the staff wing. She'd only gone a few feet when she turned back to Mildred. "Mildred? This conversation... it never happened."

Mildred nodded and watched the girl scamper off until the dark swallowed her form completely.

She let out a long sigh – with this much to think about, Mildred knew she wouldn't sleep a wink tonight.

* * *

 **A/N: Am I the only one who is melting from the Milly-Gana moment here? Let's go back and enjoy it all over again ^_^ … thanks for the loyalty and follows and favorites – please keep the reviews coming! (And I'll keep the chapters coming) :o)**


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